Somatic therapy - a bodily path to psychological healing

In somatic therapy, various approaches are used to develop awareness of bodily sensations and processes, supporting psychological healing. Some common techniques include:

Developing Somatic Awareness Somatic therapy teaches body awareness and how to enhance bodily sensations within oneself and around. This is a prerequisite for creating cellular-level change. Initially, tension points are identified, along with thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that promote a sense of peace and security.

Resources Resources help strengthen a sense of security in the world. At the beginning of a session, resources that support this are identified, which can be internal (such as strength, inner wisdom, talents, presence, or specific body locations) and external (such as nature, friends, pets, music, movement, art, etc.). Resources serve as anchors in replenishing energies when working with anxiety or trauma becomes exhausting.

Grounding Grounding involves sensing the body, feeling the feet on the ground, and calming the nervous system. The concept of grounding forms the basis for mind-body techniques. Bioenergetics developer Alexander Lowen introduced grounding as a concept where we can live our lives fully experiencing ourselves – connected to the world around us. Grounding often involves the four elements: earth, air, water, and fire.

Use of Descriptive Language Today’s approach to somatic therapy is inquisitive and descriptive – focusing on what happens within and around the body. Working with memories of tension, anxiety, and trauma involves observing, connecting, describing, and allowing experiences to move through oneself.

For example, if you’re angry about something that happened and don’t want to feel that way anymore, you can start with words like: “It feels like there’s a fiery rage in my chest…”. By staying with the sensations and observing what happens next, you notice how anger shifts and gradually changes when focusing on bodily sensations rather than the details of the disturbing event. Descriptive language can be used as a method to deepen everything you experience. Some descriptive words include: warmth, cold, tingling, sharp sensation, numbness, dull pressure, lightness, spinning, lifting, swirling, or calming.

Movement Movement is the body’s natural way to navigate through difficult experiences, uncertainty, past traumas, and intense emotions. It strengthens the ability to be visible, connected with others, and to feel more. Movement helps us utilize our innate ability to heal stories held within our bodies.

Observing people, you may notice how each of us carries stories and beliefs within ourselves. These influence how we interact with others around us. Our gestures, postures, vocal strength, and presence in a room convey what we believe about ourselves, what we expect, or what we have experienced in the past.

Sessions incorporate both natural and creative movement exercises to release tensions, cease fight-or-flight responses, allow vibration to occur, and release stored energy in body tissues. Techniques such as opening connective tissue, releasing tension, therapeutic dance, embodying frightening situations, etc., are used.

Co-Regulation and Self-Regulation Co-regulation refers to how we calm ourselves when connecting with someone else. When connected with another person’s warmth, care, and stability, we can better regulate our emotions. Self-regulation is the ability to calm oneself. We all need both contact with others and the ability to regulate ourselves as needed.

Emotional regulation is an important skill as a parent because it allows us to teach it to our children. Regulation enables us to live more deeply, love more fully, and experience the sweetness of everyday pleasures.

Titration and Pendulation Trauma, panic, fear, horror, anger, frustration, and depression manifest through bodily sensations. We may feel overheated, trapped, frozen, disconnected, or completely lost. Such experiences and emotions do not dissipate if we dive into them headfirst, as rapid approaches can trigger a re-traumatizing reaction.

Therefore, a technique is used where a tension-free state is induced, similar to a traumatic experience. This may be repeated several times, allowing trapped energy to be released. During the release of energy, discomfort or anxiety may be felt, followed by guiding back to a relaxed state. Over time, this technique teaches the ability to independently reach a tension-free state.

Ending the Fight-or-Flight Response Somatic techniques can help re-experience events on a bodily level to find relief. This is because past events tend to get trapped in the body, manifesting as intrusive images, obsessions, tensions, panic, unhealthy relationships, sadness, despair, etc.

For example, if you were in a situation where you wanted to escape but couldn’t, in somatic therapy, you slowly immerse yourself in the awareness of the event, allowing the body to revisit what was experienced. Then, the body can do what it needs to do to release – move legs as if walking to reach someone who could have saved you from a difficult or dangerous situation. Or feel the strength in your hands, set boundaries, say “no” – everything you couldn’t do or say at that moment in the past due to lack of strength, danger, or lack of knowledge.

Although this situation is in the past, the body’s cells are still connected to this event, and by ending the fight-or-flight response, the body often experiences deep peace and relief at the cellular level. Such relief cannot be experienced just by talking about it.

Sequencing, Releasing Tensions and Emotions Body-based tension typically begins to release as movement, sensation, or emotion, intensifying and slowly diminishing. Tensions in the abdomen may start moving upward, you may feel tension in the chest, and then feel heaviness in the hands. By staying with this, you may notice a pulsating sensation in the throat or pressure around the head or forehead. At some point, trembling often occurs, where hands and/or feet shake, indicating the release of tension from the body. Tension may exit from the top of the head, soles of the feet, fingertips, or forearms, but it moves through clearly. Sometimes it takes a few seconds, while for others, it may take a few minutes. This may be followed by crying to release accumulated sadness. You may deeply sigh and notice the ability to breathe more easily, or you may feel as though you’ve removed a massive brick from your heart.

Setting Boundaries Boundaries are crucial during sessions. Boundaries can be verbal or non-verbal. During a session, words like “YES”, “NO”, “stop”, or “okay” are used, sensing what it feels like to express boundaries. Setting boundaries is one of the most reliable ways to feel protected and stable in one’s body and daily interactions.

Somatic Awareness in the Present Moment As you read this, notice what it feels like to read about body and mind healing. Observe what’s happening in your body and which emotions are surfacing. You might consider some resources currently available or that you wish to use.